BILL NUMBER: SCR 46	CHAPTERED  09/21/99

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER   132
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   SEPTEMBER 21, 1999
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY   SEPTEMBER 10, 1999
	ADOPTED IN SENATE   AUGUST 31, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Ortiz
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Perata)
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Lempert)

                        AUGUST 16, 1999

   Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 46--Relative to Ovarian Cancer
Awareness Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SCR 46, Ortiz.  Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
   This measure would designate the month of September as Ovarian
Cancer Awareness Month throughout the State of California, and would
encourage and promote efforts to educate the people and the health
care practitioners of the state regarding that disease and its early
detection and prevention, the risk factors involved in its
development, and the early warning symptoms and signs.




   WHEREAS, The incidence of ovarian cancer is increasing over time
with a 30-percent increase in the number of ovarian cancer cases and
an 18-percent increase in the number of ovarian cancer deaths
reported in the past decade (1985-95); and
   WHEREAS, Ovarian cancer has been predicted to reach epidemic
proportions as the population ages because advancing age is one of
the known risk factors for the development of ovarian cancer; and
   WHEREAS, The Pap smear is sensitive and specific to the early
detection of cervical cancer but not to ovarian cancer, and there is
no screening test currently used for the early detection of ovarian
cancer; and
   WHEREAS, The symptoms of ovarian cancer are vague and not well
known by the public, the majority of ovarian cancer cases (70
percent) are detected at an advanced stage, and the survival rates
for women with advanced ovarian cancer have shown minimal improvement
over the last 15 to 25 years; and
   WHEREAS, If diagnosed and treated at an early stage before the
cancer spreads outside of the ovary, the treatment is potentially
less costly, and the five-year survival rate is higher (92 percent);
and
   WHEREAS, There are factors that are known to reduce the risk for
ovarian cancer and play an important role in the prevention of the
disease; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the month
of September of every year as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
throughout the State of California, and encourages and promotes the
efforts of the people and the health care practitioners of the state
to increase their awareness of this disease and to educate themselves
about its early detection and prevention, the risk factors involved
in its development, and the early warning symptoms and signs; and be
it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
